NAS Interview Questions & Answers

Network attached storage (NAS) is an alternative way to connect storage to servers that is built using standard network components such as Ethernet or other LAN technologies. The application servers access storage using file system functions such as open file, read file, write file, close file, etc.. These higher-level functions are encapsulated in protocols such as CIFS, NFS or AppleShare and run across standard IP-based connections.

Q: – Can Server clusters use NAS for the shared storage?

Yes, providing the applications can store data on file shares and the file shares are accessible to the applications as they failover across the cluster, there is no reason why NAS cannot be used as the storage solution in a cluster.

Q: – What are the benefits of NAS for SMBs?

The key benefit is the ability to consolidate structured and unstructured data into a file-sharing environment that utilizes the existing IP infrastructure. Since NAS clients rarely require any additional hardware to access data, the initial investment is contained to the NAS array itself.

Q: – Is NAS a better storage option for SMBs than a SAN or a mixed solution?

Absolutely, it is a much better option. NAS can leverage your existing IP infrastructure and very rarely requires any additional hardware or software for access. It easily integrates with corporate security and authentication domains such as Radius, Active Directory and LDAP, making it a very attractive option for SMBs.

Q: – What is clustered NAS and what are its benefits?

Clustered NAS is typically defined as a concurrent multi-node access to and servicing of data. This is usually accomplished by implementing some kind of distributed or clustered file system that allows any node to serve data regardless of where it’s located or who actually owns it. In a traditional NAS environment, the filer head actually owns that data and that is typically what serves it — very much like a server-based file-serving environment. If the server or head goes down, you can typically have a passive or a standby node pick it up and serve that same storage. Traditionally, NAS has suffered from a scalability issue at the higher end and the inability to service multiple concurrent connections. Clustered NAS overcomes these limitations by dynamically distributing client connections to multiple heads. The key thing with clustered NAS is again cost, which will need to be considered in the SMB space.